Paws of the faithful

Irish greyhound gets a heavenly new home at Austrian monastery

AN Irish greyhound is now living a heavenly life after being adopted by a priest in an Austrian monastery.

Ballinveala Dudu was rehomed by the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust to Germany in September.

The dog was then adopted by the priest in the small town of Bregenz, western Austria, last month.

Irish Greyhound Board official Barry Coleman wished the pooch a relaxing time in his old age. He said: “It is excellent to see Dudu, and hundreds of others like him, finding loving homes and having a happy and healthy retirement.

“Greyhounds make for excellent pets and have an uncanny ability to transition to the family couch with ease.

“They are best known as couch potatoes, needing very little exercise or special diet.

“With greater public awareness we can ensure these prized athletes get the retirement they deserve and equally bring happiness to many people’s lives.

“The Irish Retired Greyhound Trust has partnerships with rehoming agencies all over Europe and greyhounds are proving particularly popular as pets in Germany.”

Greyhoundhilfe, the German agency who helped Dudu find a new home, has held a long-established partnership with their Irish counterparts.

The IRGT has helped to rehome more than 5,300 racing greyhounds since 2008, with 853 getting new owners between January and October.

A further132 greyhounds are on its rehoming list with 60 to be resettled before the end of the year.

Visit www.igb.ie for further details about getting a racing dog as a pet.

OFF TO A FRIAR Dudu at his new home in Austria LAP OF LUXURY Priests welcome their new addition GODSPEED Race dog is resting easy